Thursday, July 9, 2020 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2.20 Home delivered from $1.40 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY Leading Fight Night the way rescheduled P3 P16 National MPs (from left): Andrew Falloon, Gerry Brownlee, party leader Todd Muller and Selwyn candidate Nicola Grigg at the announcement of the party’s com- mitment to a four-lane highway between Ashburton and Christchurch. PHOTO HEATHER MACKENZIE 080720-HM-0055 Four-lane commitment BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY a whirlwind visit through Can- tha-Southland MP Hamish four lanes of highway, it’s fantas- suring that it is all sorted so we [email protected] terbury on Wednesday, ahead Walker. tic,” he quipped. can construct it,” he said. National leader Todd Muller has of a public meeting at the Hotel After an extended period of Muller confirmed the road will “We have a fantastic track re- sent a clear message to voters Ashburton. questions about the scandal, be 60kms long, between Ash- cord with infrastructure projects ahead of the September elec- The announcement was made which has resulted in Walker burton and Christchurch, and with the roads of national signif- tion; vote me into Government, to both local and national me- announcing he won’t stand in would cost $1.5 billion. It would icance. and I will build you 60km of dia, but was somewhat over- this year’s election, Muller was also include second bridges be- four-lane highway between Ash- shadowed by the controversy looking to talk more about the ing built on the Ashburton, Sel- burton and Christchurch. embroiling the party involving details of the road. wyn and Rakaia rivers. Muller announced the com- the leaking of private details of “Any questions about the “It’ll be straight into it in terms mitment to the project as part of people with Covid-19 by Clu- road, come on, it’s $1.5 billion, of consenting, design and en- CONTINUED P2 Gluyas Motor Group 79 Kermode Street | (03) 307 5800 Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe! Chris Hart Vehicle Sales Manager Mob 027 439 0887 Ray McLaren *T’s & C’s apply Vehicle Sales Mob 027 602 3311 Adam Banks Vehicle Sales Mob 027 312 0028 GET THE BIG DEALS AT FORD ASK US FOR A TEST DRIVE TODAY www.gluyasford.nz News 2 Ashburton Guardian Thursday, July 9, 2020 www.guardianonline.co.nz Hospice MC National commits to to hold four lanes From P1 down-town “I am from an area that has 23km of straight grade, separated four-lane highway and I must say 60kms makes me jealous.” Muller said the region would benefit not only from the ease of pop-up shop being able to move people and freight with the highway, but also Ashburton’s Hospice Mid Can- 18 from 10am until 1pm. the increased safety it would bring. terbury shop has a problem – it’s Proceeds from the shop go “There have been 119 serious ac- bulging at the seams and needs towards the many services cidents in this area, on that stretch to make way for the flow of new that Hospice Mid Canterbury of road, over the last few years and items coming into the store. provides to support people that impacts lives,” he said. With locals appearing to have a throughout Mid Canterbury who Muller highlighted that the road serious clean out of their homes are dealing with a life-limiting had been planned in the second during the Covid-19 lockdown, illness. All services are provided tranche of roads of national signif- shop manager Tracey Fuller said free of charge to clients and their icance by the last National Govern- stocks of goods are at an all-time caregivers. ment, with those plans scrapped high. And that’s prompted the While volunteers provide by the current Government. decision to run a three-day pop- many of the services, special- “They did not progress with up shop next week. ised services and therapies are them and, instead, took $5 billion It’s a first for the shop and will delivered by independent pro- out of the state highway fund to offer a great selection of furni- fessionals who are contracted by re-direct to Auckland’s light rail ture, linen, clothing and home- Hospice Mid Canterbury. With transport project which, of course wares, Fuller said. no government funding, Hos- they confirmed a couple of weeks The pop-up shop in the old pice relies on sponsors, dona- Preparing for Hospice Mid Canterbury’s first pop-up shop ago, was beyond them to consent Caroline Eve store on East Street, tions, income generated by the are, (from left), volunteer Barbara Redmond, Hospice Mid to the build.” will be open on July 16 and 17 Hospice shop, and fundraisers, Canterbury shop manager Tracey Fuller, and volunteer Tony Muller said construction would from 10am until 4pm and on July to offer these services. Todd. start on the highway in 2023. Safe drinking water comes at a $761 million cost BY SUE NEWMAN ter supplies, but the government for the upgrades was huge, but ever, there’s a lot of detail still to “At least 34,000 New Zealand- [email protected] plans to strip them of this role. The with the information still high lev- come before we can start debating ers become ill from drinking tap Sweeping changes in the way incentive to get on board the na- el, council would need more detail this. It’s a high level overview and water every year and many com- drinking water supplies are ad- tional water scheme comes with a to see how the plan would sit with my initial feeling is one of caution munities around the country ministered could see the Ashbur- cash handout to help with mainte- the district’s water infrastructure. and you do have to ask, ‘where is cannot drink their water without ton District Council stripped of its nance and renewal costs but that His initial concern is that, in all this money coming from’?” first boiling it. Investing in water water treatment and management comes with a catch – local author- adopting a regional or cross-re- What wasn’t in question was the infrastructure is about investing role, with these handed over to a ities have to agree to the reform gional approach to water man- need to ensure every community in the health of New Zealanders,” publicly-owned super regional en- plans or they won’t get the money. agement and investment, coun- had safe drinking water and that she said. tity. Funds will be allocated on a cils such as Ashburton, that had the environment was protected Local authorities often did not Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern population and land area ba- been proactive in infrastructure when it came to wastewater dis- have the resources needed to yesterday announced a $761 mil- sis with the money split equally upgrades, might end up subsidis- posal, Brown said. upgrade their drinking water in- lion investment into the Three across urban, rural and provincial ing those that had not. However, The overhaul of the way drink- frastructure and the $761 million Waters sector, one that is designed areas but local authorities will no there could be wins for the dis- ing water was managed was investment would kick start this to introduce major changes and longer have control of their own trict too with the council planning sparked by the 2016 Havelock work, Ardern said. tighter regulations into the way water services. Aggregated provid- to spend $4 million on a mem- North campylobacter outbreak, Nationally, the estimated capi- water services are managed. ers include by region or just five brane-lined supply for Methven, if but in announcing the $761 mil- tal cost of upgrading drinking wa- Currently 61 local authorities large cross-regional providers. this cost was shared across a much lion investment, Ardern said ter treatment plans to meet heal and seven regional councils own Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown larger region, he said. drinking water issues weren’t just standards is between $309 and and manage most community wa- said the amount of money tagged “There’s a huge cost to this, how- limited to that supply. $574 million. WE ARE NOW OPEN UNTIL 5:30PM WEEKDAYS SATURDAY’S HOURS 8AM-2PM Drop in on your way home for fresh treats for your family Carmen and Glenn 123 Main South Road, Ashburton| Phone 03 308 5774 News www.guardianonline.co.nz Thursday, July 9, 2020 Ashburton Guardian 3 Yet another Low-cost, high crash at production nets results hot-spot BY HEATHER CHALMERS intersection [email protected] A Mid Canterbury dairy farm’s low-cost, high production per- BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY formance has again attracted [email protected] the judge’s attention in the Dairy A third crash has occurred at an Business of the Year awards, Ashburton hot-spot in a month, winning best Canterbury farm and less than a week after the Ash- for the second year in a row. burton District Council confirmed Managed by lower-order they would be making changes at sharemilkers Brent and Rebec- the intersection in a hope to reduce ca Miller, River Terrace Dairy at crash numbers. Carew again recorded the low- Emergency services were called est cost of production in the to the intersection of Middle Road competition at $3.93 a kilogram and Belt Road at around 12.40pm of milksolids. This was a small yesterday. increase on the previous year A police spokesperson said the when they were $3.84/kg MS crash appeared to involve two ve- and also won the business resil- hicles, one of which required a tow ience award.